The Boy Least Likely To, ‘The Law of the Playground’ (+1)

President Barack Obama made it official: Optimism is no longer uncool. On their ultra-whimsical second album, this U.K. twee-pop duo seize the yes-we-can moment with plucky anthems such as “When Life Gives Me Lemons, I Make Lemonade” and “Every Goliath Has Its David.” Boasting enough sugary banjos, glockenspiels, and handclaps to give a Teletubby diabetes, The Boy Least Likely To animate their softly sung indie twang with nonstop hooks, bright production, and gently acknowledged adult anxieties. Beneath lyrics celebrating balloons and whiskers lie bittersweet longings.